Conversely, aerobic exercise performance improved intestinal mucosa morphology, and resulted in the upregulation of claudin-1 and occludin mRNA levels, accompanied by reduced endotoxemia (Fig. 6A-C), supporting the capacity of exercise training to partially restore intestinal barrier function in our experimental model of early obesity and NAFLD. This evidence concerns the gene OCLN and obesity due to melanocortin 4 receptor deficiency.